INTERTWINED

Chapter 14

an: another update x btw stay hydrated and don't forget to tell your loved ones that you love and appreciate them. Not only by words, but through the actions too. Although you are busy with your own thing, but don't forget to keep in touch with your loved ones. :)

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-Save, for now-

Karis raised her head as much as she could to protect herself from getting a concussion when she crashed to the ground. 

Karis looked around as she lay on the ground, arms and legs spread out.

Fortunately, the ground was moist and there were no stones. But her back hurt like hell, and the pain spread.

She breathed out a series of painful gasps. In loud mouthfuls, she gasped for air.

To keep her consciousness, Karis bit hard on her lip. Who knows how long she rested on the ground before she was able to raise some energy to check on Bulan.

"Bu..Lan?" Karis murmured, while in pain. But no response, as Bulan had fainted from fear. Karis clenched her teeth and kept her arms locked firmly around Bulan, squeezing her close to her body. 

Karis bent her body to lay Bulan down, covering her head with her arm. Her finger traced the outline of her head and neck with a gentle gesture. Karis next studied Bulan's breathing.

"It's all right." Karis let out small sigh of relief.

Karis pushed herself up against the ground after lying for a while longer. She sat quietly for a while before slowly rising. She moved her arms and legs, feeling minor pains but no damage to her bones or tendons.

"Thankfully, no bones were broken."

She took a seat on the ground once more, this time gazing up at the clear sky as she attempted to process everything that had just taken place to them. 

Her gaze was drawn to the sleeping beauty who was lying next to her. As she looked at Bulan by her side, she curved up the corners of her lips before fear crossed her face when she noticed how messy Bulan look right now.

'How is it possible for the Eldest Princess of such a powerful empire to be in this kind of situation? To begin, Bulan had never been covered in mud during her entire life.' 

'It's getting riskier for her on this trip... I need to have returned her to the Qaedel Empire. There, she's safer.' 

Karis sighed at it.

"You should have stayed at your Empire where you would be gracefully treated as you deserve, but why are you putting your happiness at risk just to get closer to me?" Was it to protect Navin by marrying me?" Karis thought she said it calmly, but she didn't notice the tremor behind her voice.

Karis then reached up to remove the leaves and branches from the raven hair, and then flipped out her own sleeve to use the clean side to wipe the mud from Bulan's divine face.

Maybe it's the waning sun, but there's something particularly attractive about Bulan right now.

From her eyes, her cheeks, her nose, to her kissable lips.

"You are really..." 'Breathtaking.'

Instead of spouting the truth of what she felt, Karis said this instead: 

"Truly an annoyance."

Unconsciously, Karis leaned forward, almost reaching the enticing lips...

But she stopped in mid way, her lips falling on Bulan's forehead instead.